Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Geographic Variability, Seasonality, and Increase in ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Harmful Blue-Green Algae Calls-United States and Canada, 2010-2022.
By Bloch, Rebecca A et al.Ā·Published in ToxinsĀ·2023Ā·College of Veterinary Medicine, United StatesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Plain-English summary
From 2010 to 2022, there was a significant increase in calls to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center about dogs exposed to harmful blue-green algae, especially during the summer months. Out of nearly 1,000 calls, 99.4% involved dogs, with most cases occurring between July and September, particularly in New England and the Pacific regions. Dogs were mostly exposed through eating or coming into contact with contaminated water. This rise in calls may be linked to increased public awareness about harmful algal blooms. If you suspect your dog has been exposed, it's important to seek veterinary care immediately.
People also search for: dog blue-green algae exposure Ā· harmful algal bloom symptoms in dogs Ā· summer dog water safety
Abstract
Harmful cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) exposures can cause illness or death in humans and animals. We characterized American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) harmful blue-green algae (HBGA) call data, compared it to a measure of harmful algal bloom public awareness, and considered its suitability as a public health information source. ASPCA APCC dog and cat "HBGA exposure" calls made 1 January 2010-31 December 2022 were included. We calculated annual HBGA call percentages and described calls (species, month, origin, exposure route). We characterized public awareness by quantifying Nexis Uni(LexisNexis Academic; New York, NY, USA)-indexed news publications (2010-2022) pertaining to "harmful algal bloom(s)". Call percentage increased annually, from 0.005% (2010) to 0.070% (2022). Of 999 HBGA calls, 99.4% (= 993) were dog exposures. Over 65% (= 655) of calls were made July-September, largely from the New England (= 154 (15.4%)) and Pacific (= 129 (12.9.%)) geographic divisions. Oral and dermal exposures predominated (= 956 (95.7%)). Harmful algal bloom news publications increased overall, peaking in 2019 (= 1834). Higher call volumes in summer and in the New England and Pacific geographic divisions drove HBGA call increases; public awareness might have contributed. Dogs and humans have similar exposure routes. ASPCA APCC HBGA call data could serve as a public health information source.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37624262/